Plaster-board bundle



Dec. 25, 192s. l1,696,877

C. R. BIRDSEY PLASTER BOARD BUNDLE Filed June 27, 1927 Patented Dec. 2`5, 1928.( l UNITED STATES 1,696,877 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLESv B. IBIBDSEY, 0F HINSDALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB'TO THE UNITED STATES GYPSUH CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

l.rLAs'rna-izoAnn BUNDLE.

Application led June 27, 1927. VSerial No. $801,578.y

This invention relates to plaster lath and more particularly to bundled lath.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive form of plasterboard lath.

Another object of this invention is to rovide convenient and eicient means for andling and shippingthe articles of manufacture.

A further obj ect of this invention is to provide improved means for handling a number of ieces of lath together as a unit.

X further object of this invention is to provide securing means for holding and'protecting a number of the elements comprising the bundle at the edges thereof. y

Further objects and advantageswill ap-` pear and be brought out more fully in the following specications and drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of this invention Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, partially broken away.

In the building industry there have 'been developed primarily two types of gypsum board. First, wallboard which is used to replace wood lath and the usual layer of wall plaster applied thereto and which is used also to replace wood sheathing on. building interiors. Second, plasterboard which is used in the place of wood lath and to which a coat of wall lasteris applied in the same manner that 1t is applied to wood lath. ,In either Atype of gypsum board the same consists of a gypsum core either with laminated paper plies therein, or a solid layer. of gypsum, with a fibrous exteriory covering on each face side thereof.

In order to permit facile handling of plaster wallboard it has been found convenient f to manufacture these boards in comparativel narrow widths; for instance,.16 inches has een found to be very convenient. In ordinary handling a boardof this width is usually limited in length'to 5 to' 1() feet on account of ractical consideration. Such a board is lig t enough so ,that a number of them can be bound .or bundled together to make a package or unit which is advantagelous for shipping and handling ,during construction.

While wallboard is at 'present marketed in larger sizes substantially the same advan-y tages are to be found vin the handling and v1 shipping of this type of gypsum board.

It is the purpose of this invention to de velop a bundle and a. method of securing such plasterboards or Awallboards together forproducin the desirable results referred to.

Re erring more particularly to the drawings, I show a bundle of plasterboard or Wall-- (3) in substantial alignment. A binding strip of thin tough fibrous material such as tough paper or cloth (4) is applied to the edges (3) and its edges (5) are folded over and secured by gluing or pastin to the ed e portions of the outside board e ements (.2 Pressure is applied to the edges (5) and the binding strip is thereby lirmly secured to the layer of boards and the ends cut or broken to coincide with the board len ths. n

In the preferred form o the invention as shown in Fig. 1 only the two opposite sides of the bundles of gypsum boards arel provided with binding strips 4, while the other two edges of the bundle are open or exposed. Thus the binding strips 4 prevent the gypsum boards from getting out of alignment in one direction `while the friction between the boards due to the tension of the bindin strips .4, prevents the gypsum boards from iifting out of alignment in the other direction.

Both plasterboard and wallboard are piled i When so piled, if they are retained in packa e form by any means that gives a greater thic ness to the bundle at the edges than at the center, this variation in thickness multiplies as the height of the stack increases, so that the top packa es when in place bow down conin lstacks in the warehouse for storage.

siderably 1n the center and in time set in a s deformed curved shape. By the use of thin binding strips I provide a package that has practically the same thickness throughout its width and length so that when piled in stacks .A

house. By using thin binding ,strips such as I propose, a smooth flat package is produced with no protruding binding elements that will interfere witheach other in sliding one package over the other.

By using the top and bottom sheets of gyp-A sum board with the binding strips adhesively secured to the edges thereof as the packaging medium a package or bundle is produced which lends itself to the use of a minimum amount of extraneous material for enclosing the gypsum board and also lends itself to rapid assembly and binding of the boards in bundles or packages. The economyof the operation as well as the saving in the cost of extraneous material for packaging has resulted in a package' of gypsum board which may be produced-at a cost far below the cost of packaging gypsum board by any other means now in use. Moreover, with a package utilizing such a minimum amount of extraneouswrapping material, a distinct advantage is gained at the place of use of the gypsum board in that there is little accumuation of Wrapping material that must be disposed of at expense to 'the user. lElo'r instance, lwith a packafre in which the gypsum boards are completely enclosed by paper or other material which must be removed at the place of use of the board a great quantity of this wrapping paper accumulates and in addition to the expense to the user ofremoving the same, creates a. frehazard untiT removed, which is highly objectionable.

The result is that a bundle or package of gypsum board is produced and one which is .very compact and substantially rigid. The bundle thus formed is convenientto handle and permits the moving of a number of pieces together as a unit and further provides a rotection for the edges which would be su ject to injury when handled separately. The bundle is therefore a more eiiicient form of plaster board lath and makes possible the construction and erection of more lath at a given time than would be possible otherwise. It will be readily understood that when the package constituting the present invention is being handled 'iin transit or otherwise, the flexible nature of the brous binding strips permits a substantial amount of weaving or flexing of the elements of the package.

Under such conditions, which are quite noticeable in packages of relatively heavy material, such as plasterboard, these strips are not broken or permanently distorted, but act as hinges to accommodate such weaving or flexing, while at the same time serving to A protect the edges or boundaries of the elements of the package that are enclosed by the strips. When the package is to be opened preparatory to using the elements thereof, thel fibrous binding strips may be readily cut or ripped longitudinally and the portions thereofv that are thus severed may be either stripped off of the outside elements of the package or allowed to remain thereon, as desired. Y n

While I have shown the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that changes" and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A package of flat structural elements of similar size andl shape, comprising a'plurality of such elements larranged in stacked relation, and mea-ns for securing said elements together in such relation, said means comprising thin relatively tough binding strips of thin paper or fibrous material having similar iiexibility enclosing certain of the edges of the elements and having intermediate portions unattached theretol and under tension due to the application' of substantial -compacting force ,to said elements when the package is being formed, and marginal portions overlapping and adhesively secured to the marginal portions of the outer elements of the package.

2. A package of iiat structural elements of similar size and shape, comprising a plurality of such elements arranged in stacked relation, and means Afor securing said elements together in Such relation, said means comprising thin relatively tough binding strips of thin paper or fibrous material having :similarv exibility each having an intermediate portion covering an edge of the stack of said elements and marginal portions overlapping and adhesively secured tothe marginal portions of the outer elements of the package, said strips being apnu i plied to opposite edges of the stack while the latter is under compression, whereby interme# diate elements of the package are firmly secured in position by friction between one another and between said intermediate elements and the inner surfaces of said outer elements.

3. A package of flat structural elements of similar size and shape, comprising avplurality of such elements arranged in stacked relation, and means for securing said elements together in such relation, said means comprising two thin relatively tough binding strips of thin paper or fibrous material having similar flexibility respectively having intermediate portions covering opposite edges of the stack of said elements, and non-overlapping marginal lll) portions extending over the marginal portions of the outer elements of the package and adhesively secured to the outwardly presented surfaces of such outer elements, said binding members being applied toopposite edges of the stack while the latter is under some sub-I 'two substantially parallel opposite boundp aries comprising a plurality of such elements arranged stacked relation with theirl said Vcorresponding oppositeI boundaries in substantial alignment, and means for securing fresas?? having an intermediate ortion under tensionidue to the application o substantial compact-4 to the top and bottom sheetsjof the stack. Iwhereb said top and bottomsheets are ,r e tained 1n position for handling or stacking.

tion, said means comprising I lar sheets of gypsum ing force tolsaid members are applied.

5. A package of substantially -ilatrectangup 4 board of the nature and havmg the usesset forth in the specification, comprising a plurality of 'such sheets arranged in stacked relation with corresponding edges substantially in alignment an means for retaining said sheets in such relation, said means comprising thin relatively tough binding strips ofvthin pa er orfbrous material having similar flexibility extending along and substantiall completely enclosing two oppo-V -site edges o the stack .and adhesively secured 6. A package of substantially. flat rectangular sheets of gypsum board of the nature and having theiuses set forth in the s ification, comprisin ing edges substantially in ali 'ment and meansl or retaining said sheets m such relatough binding strips of thin ap material having similar lexi vil1t along and substantially complete yenclosing two opposite edges of the stack and adhesively secured to the top and bottom sheets of the stack whereby said top and bottom sheets and A 4the binding strips serve as the onlylmeans for retaining the remaining sheets of t e package.A

' v 7. A package of substantially iiat rectangular sheets of gypsum ranged board of theV nature and having the' uses set forth in the specification, comprising a plurality of' such sheets Jarmg `edges substantially in ali ent and means elements when said fibrous f a''plurality of suc sheets arranged 1n stac ed relation with correspondthin relatively error fibrous extending maining sheets of the package. in stacked relation with corresponde o r retaining said sheets m such rela tion,

er or fibrous material having similar ile'xi ihty extending along `and substantially completely enclosing vsaid means comprising thin relatively i Vtough bmding strips of thin ap two opposite edges of the stack and adhesively secured to the to and bottom sheets of the stack wherebg; sai top and bottom sheets 'andl the bin 'ng strips serve 'as the only means for retaining the remaining sheets of the package with suicient compression to kee them in place by frictional contact one' wi 'the other'durin handling and shipment.

' 8. A package of su stantially llat rectangular sheets of gyp'sum boardv ofthe nature and having the uses set forth in comprising a plurality of ranged in stacked relation with corres edges substantially in alignment an for retaining said sheets in such relation,'sai`df the specification, such sheets arv endingmeans comprising thin binding strlps of thin relatively tough material having the essentia characteristics of cheapness and `exibility ex'- tending along `and substantially completely enclosing two opposite edges of the stack and adhesively secured to the top andbottom whereby said top .and'boty sheets of the stack tom sheets are retained in position for handling or stacking.

9. A package of substantially flat rectangular sheets of gypsum board ofthe nature and having the ,uses set forth in the specification,

comprising a plurality of-such sheets arranged in stacked relation with corresponding' edges substantially in alignment and means for retaining said sheets in such relation, said .means comprising thin binding stripls of thin, relatively tough material having t le essential characteristics of cheapness and flexibility extending along and substantially completely stack and adhesively secured to the `top and bottom sheets of the stack whereby said top and -bottom sheets and the binding strips serve as the only means for retaining the re- In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' CHARLES R. BIRDSEY.

enclosing two opposite` edges of the- 

